Traditional Chairs… and Opera Training
Written on 1st February 2016 as part of PGCLTHE study.
Bodging or 'Green Wood-Turning' is the technique used to make traditional chairs with hand-craft tools from untreated 'green' wood.
Example of traditional techniques being used in the modern day:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/interiors/8677533/Designing-furniture-the-traditional-way.html
You may be thinking "What has this got to do with Voice Training?" well I am going to argue that it actually has everything to do with Voice Training! At the very least how we explore it from an integrated point of view.
My biggest struggle so far has been to engage the Classical singing world in my quest for better collaboration. To this end I have emailed the Head of Vocal Studies asking for students who would wish to take part in my pilot class, as I see their input as being vitally important to the overall outcome. I have not received any reply, or indeed any engagement from students about this. I can only assume that he is not willing to pass it on, or indeed the students are not willing to take part.
But also in connecting to the greater Classical Singing community, I have found very little engagement in my project, with the exception of one very enthusiastic and forward thinking teacher, who seems to be a rarity in the discipline.
Informally, my colleagues in the wider Singing community have advised me to forget trying to engage with this side of the singing spectrum.
Indeed in my experience, I have come across some very unsavoury professionals who have demeaned me personally and professionally, because my age does not adhere to their idea of experience and skill. Furthering their argument by trying to discredit my training, and the pedagogues I look up to.
But the students at RCS who are on the Vocal Studies course and all of the associated teachers ARE stakeholders in my research. To this end, I have a moral and ethical duty to continue to pursue greater understanding of their world, their training and explore ways to allow them to connect better to the larger singing world.
This is where traditional chair building techniques come in.
I have been reflecting hard on this issue and trying to find solutions for the better part of this entire PGCert journey. This week I was trying to sort out some interviews with various people in the industry to gather evidence in my investigation, and on a lunch break I was relaxing with day-time television in the background.
The article in this magazine-type show was focussed on traditional chair building methods. They were looking at wicker chairs and the small group of men and women who are dedicated to the passing on of the traditional skills required to make these wonderfully elaborate works of design.
They made the argument that the tradition of creating the chairs in this way was every bit as important as the actual function of the chair itself. They also deemed their method as being 'better' aesthetically, functionally and so on. They even have an official society promoting the use of these techniques: https://www.bodgers.org.uk
This idea of tradition intrigued me. I saw many parallels with the performing arts world.
I had just given a lecture on Theatre History and Context to a group of 2nd year students at University of Winchester, discussing the creation of Theatre and Democracy, their similarities and differences, and creating an argument that one continues to co-exist because of the other. It was striking to note the prevalence of 'tradition' over functionality in both of these cases.
In performing arts we have many traditions including: applauding each other at the end of rehearsals or class, superstition over certain words while in the theatre, signing autographs at stage door.
Same too democracy has its traditions which don't necessarily carry any modern function other than adhering to tradition:
Dragging the Speaker of the House of Commons
When a new Speaker of the House of Commons is elected, the successful candidate is physically dragged to the Chair by other MPs.
This tradition has its roots in the Speaker's function to communicate the Commons' opinions to the monarch. Historically, if the monarch didn't agree with the message being communicated then the early death of the Speaker could follow. Therefore, as you can imagine, previous Speakers required some gentle persuasion to accept the post.
http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/role/customs/
Voting
When MPs vote on debates or legislation it is called a division. When MPs vote they say 'aye' or 'no'. In the Lords, Members vote saying 'content' or 'not content'.
For major votes the House divides into the voting lobbies, two corridors that run either side of the chamber, and members are counted as they enter into each.
http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/role/customs/
Even for a very young country such as the United States, you find traditions in both their theatrical and democratic practices.
It is this fundamental observation that leads me to my next postulation.
Perhaps the reason for the reluctance from the Classical Singing world and community is because of a strong sense of 'Tradition' that comes with the artistic practice of this performance genre?
The very methodological basis of 'Classical' based singing pedagogy relies upon the behaviourist approach of stock exercises and reasoning which often transcends the more cognitive reasoning we would attach to the learning of other skills.
A good example of this is the 'Metodo Pratico di Canto Italiano' (translated as: Practical Method of Italian Singing) by Nicola Vaccai in 1832.
The work, which is a collection of various vocal soundings, in various melodic patterns is still deemed by many in the Classical Voice world as being not just a seminal work, but an essential part of a singers training. Many teachers of Opera do not allow students to 'sing' any songs until they have perfected each of the exercises in this collection.
The argument is that considering the book was written nearly 200 years ago, it doesn't adhere to what we now understanding about how the voice works given that we are now much more informed in the fields of: Muscular Conditioning, Physiotherapy, Acoustic Science, Speech Therapy, Vocal Pathology, and so on. Many pedagogues and practitioners have shown more efficient and effective ways to condition the vocal instrument to achieve peak strength, flexibility and stamina. But yet the Classical community persevere and presses on with its use.
Is the use of these exercises important to the classical singer, more as a 'rite of passage' rather than as an effective way to condition better functionality?
Well, can we find other instances where this behaviour exists. I would argue that unfortunately, the world of voice is slightly lagging behind the other performative disciplines in embracing new findings, new approaches, and new generations of users.
Shakespeare can be approached, even when performed 'traditionally', using a variety of acting disciplines from Stanislavsky to Meisner and Uta Hagen, without the RSC receiving backlash from actors or audience members.
Ballet companies full expect their dancers to take part in a range of various styles and genres of dance throughout their performance seasons. Often working through classical works right through to contemporary routines, with a different set of physical and technical skills required.
Of course the above examples only seek to illustrate my point, each of these communities still maintain a strong sense of tradition, identity and culture within their craft. My question here would be how do we use these as models to engage effectively in the same way with the Classical Singing community?
Is it to offer them a way to share that tradition with us?
The difficult I feel I may run into here is that often within tribes, there is a sense of membership and exclusivity. The question of how the wider voice community earns a right to the privilege of knowledge that this community possesses is one I do not have an answer to at the moment. But is definitely a question worth asking when I construct my questionnaire.
Perhaps engaging more effectively with this community lies in offering their traditions the respect and protection they deserve?
I often feel a sense of defensiveness from my colleagues in this field, as the old ways are in danger of being deemed to be of less value, useless even in light of the new approaches. Protection of their 'ways' is something I certainly feel an integrated voice class could easily accommodate for. In fact I think respect for the various aspects of voice work would be an essential component, and outcome for any class of this nature.
But where do we draw the line?
As artists we want to change the status quo, we want to lead our own movements and invite our audiences to come along with us on a new journey through our art. At what point do we need to give preference to functionality and progress over tradition and retention of ideals?
As much as I champion engaging with the Classical Singing community on their terms, it would require a 2 way dialogue. They will need to open up and find a way to accept change, progression and new ideas, even if giving up a bit of their territory is difficult.
To any Classical Singing teachers out there, I would wish to make a plea:
Remember that our PRIMARY purpose is to serve our students in the best possible way for their growth physically, mentally, vocally, personally and professionally. We all need to give up a little bit of ourselves, our ideals, our desires and our own traditions (the way WE were taught) if we are to do that effectively.
Opening up your mind, will not dissolve your traditions, your cultures, your 'ways'. I actually believe the reverse will happen, we will all accept your traditions with open arms, celebrate it, and help you pass it on with more strength as a larger voice community than would be possible otherwise!
Let’s forge the way forward to creating our own traditions which people in the future will use to inspire them to continue to grow and develop beyond what any of us could have realistically wished for.